Ex Libris Kirkland

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Illustrator Garth WIlliams
First Written 1945
Genre Childrens
Origin US
My Copy cheap little paperback
First Read January 11, 2018

Stuart Little



Man, I've been totally sleeping on EB White. Like everybody my age I was read Charlotte's Web as a kid, and then saw the movie. But reading it again, and hearing the audiobook narrated by White himself, totally forced me to revise my opinion - it's great.

Then, Felix's first grade teacher had them read The Trumpet of the Swan, which was also good. Now, we just picked up Stuart Little for our bedtime reading, and dang - what a delight! This was completely unpredictable, all the way through, and I adored the ...magical realism? that animated the story. This is a weird yarn, and I loved it. Felix and Trudy weirdly won't admit to actually liking it, but they were completely into it, and they cracked up at the absurd plot twists or inexplicable story twists (like, the friendly dentist Dr. Carey helps Stuart run away from home and happens to have a tiny working automobile with an invisibility button?.)

Noted on January 13, 2018

"Of course, south-west is a nice direction, too."
"Yes, I suppose it is," said Stuart, thoughtfully.
"And there's east," continued the repairman. "I once had an interesting experience on an easterly course. Do you want me to tell you about it?"
"No, thanks," said Stuart.
The repairman seemed disappointed, but he kept right on talking.
"There's something about north," he said "something that sets it apart from all other directions. A person who is heading north is not making any mistake, in my opinion."
"That's the way I look at it," said Stuart. "I rather expect that from now on I shall be traveling north until the end of my days."
"Worse things than that could happen to a person."

Quoted on February 5, 2022


Ex Libris Kirkland is a super-self-absorbed reading journal made by Matt Kirkland. Copyright © 2001 - .
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